While the Saints were establishing themselves upon the San Pedro and
Gila, the Church authorities by no means had lost sight of the primary
object of the southern migration. January 4, 1883, Apostle Moses
Thatcher, with Elders D. P. Kimball, Teeples, Fuller, Curtis, Trejo and
Martineau, left St. David for an exploring trip into Mexico.
September 13, 1884, another party left St. David to explore the country
lying south of the line, along the Babispe River, returning October 7, by
way of the San Bernardino ranch, though without finding any locations
considered favorable.
In November, 1884, Apostles Brigham Young, Jr., and Heber J. Grant, with
a company from St. Joseph Stake, with thirty wagons, went into Sonora,
where they were given a hearty welcome by the Yaqui Indians, who
expressed hope of a settlement among them.
St. David was the scene of one of the most notable councils of the
Church, held in January, 1885, and presided over by none other than
President John Taylor, who left Salt Lake City, January 3, and whose
party at St. David included also Apostles Joseph F. Smith, Erastus Snow,
Brigham Young, Jr., Moses Thatcher and Francis M. Lyman, with other
dignitaries of the Church. At St. David were met Jesse N. Smith,
Christopher Layton, Alex. F. Macdonald and Lot Smith, presidents of the
four Stakes of Arizona. The discussion at this conference appeared to
have been mainly upon the Church prosecution, then in full sway, a matter
not included within the purview of this work. There was determination to
extend the Church settlements farther to the southward. According to
Orson F. Whitney:
"In order to provide a place of refuge for such as were being hunted and
hounded, President Taylor sent parties into Mexico to arrange for the
purchase of land in that country, upon which the fugitive Saints might
settle. One of the first sites selected for this purpose was just across
the line in the State of Sonora. Elder Christopher Layton made choice of
this locality. Other lands were secured in the State of Chihuahua.
President Taylor and his party called upon Governor Torres at Hermosillo,
the capital of Sonora, and were received by that official with marked
courtesy."
Historian Whitney states that the Taylor party then went westward by way
of the Salt River Valley settlements to the Pacific Coast. And this
office has a record to the effect that, in January, President Taylor
visited also the settlements of the Little Colorado section and counseled
concerning the disposition of several of the early towns of that
locality.
Of Arizona interest is the fact that for two and a half years thereafter,
the President of the Mormon Church was in exile, till the date of his
death, July 25, 1887, in Kaysville, Utah. Much of the intervening time
was spent in Arizona and a part of it in Mexico, in the settlements that
had been established as places of refuge. His declining months, however,
were spent in Utah, even entire communities guarding well the secret of
the presence of their spiritual head.